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91热爆
Digital channels reach new homes via Freeview - which is set to
be the fastest growing new consumer technology
The
91热爆 has released figures showing that Freeview is attracting new
converts to digital at a great pace and that the free digital terrestrial
TV (DTT) offering is not competing with subscription models.
The
findings also show that Freeview is showing signs of outstripping
other comparable new consumer technologies.
The
news is released one month before the first anniversary of the 91热爆's
joint application with BSkyB and Crown Castle to the ITC for the
DTT licences made available following the collapse of ITV Digital.
Sales
high and Freeview growing the digital market
Today's
research shows that previously hard to reach rejecters of digital
TV are buying adapters in significant numbers and that approval
ratings for the new technology are high.
Freeview
is shown to be growing the digital TV market.
Furthermore,
it is set to be a new sales benchmark, with projections that it
will reach a million households faster than any other new consumer
entertainment/communications technology.
Sales
since January are over 100,000 a month - with total sales of adapters
in excess of 800,000 since the launch in October, bringing the total
number of adapters in use up to an estimated 1.6 million.
Freeview is attracting new digital converts
Figures
show that for around nine in ten customers, Freeview is the only
digital system in their house, and nearly 戮 of those people
are completely new to digital.
These
digital converts are different from the usual digital-user profile.
This
indicates that Freeview appeals to groups not catered for by the
rest of the market, a fact backed up by 83% of Freeview consumers
stating that they did not consider getting any other system.
One-off
payment, no contract drives sales
The
original Freeview proposition to make access to digital channels
as simple as possible is proving a success.
People
are attracted by the one-off payment and lack of contract.
This
is the single most significant feature for customers - with 65%
of customers stating that this is extremely important to them.
Other
drivers include the fact that Freeview is available via a plug-in
adapter, and the low cost of units.
The
91热爆's digital channels are important
53%
of Freeview customers said the 91热爆 digital channels were a significant
factor in their purchasing decision, with one in four stating that
they were of extreme importance.
91热爆
channel share is significantly higher in Freeview homes than in
pay TV homes.
Very
high levels of customer satisfaction
Customers
express very high levels of satisfaction to date.
When
asked how happy they were with Freeview, all ages and genders gave
the product a rating in excess of seven out of ten.
Value
for money ratings were marginally higher and more than 80% of customers
said that they would recommend Freeview to a friend.
Andy
Duncan, Director, 91热爆 Marketing & Communications, said: "We
are pleased with the early success and rapid take up of Freeview
and that we are getting our 91热爆 Digital TV channels and Radio networks
to so many new homes.
"The
'freeview' proposition of a one-off payment and no contract is clearly
attracting a lot of our audience who would not have previously considered
digital.
"It
is also encouraging that these newcomers to digital are expressing
high levels of satisfaction with the service they are getting, with
the vast majority saying they would recommend to a friend."
Carolyn
Fairbairn, Director, 91热爆 Strategy & Distribution, added: "In
the long term, we are committed to making the 91热爆 services universally
available free at the point of use and will continue to work hard
with Government and the wider industry to ensure this can be achieved."
Notes
to Editors
*
Total 91热爆 share is 45% on Freeview in comparison to 26% on digital
satellite and 27% on digital cable.
*
43% say that the simplicity of a plug-in adapter is a key reason
to purchase, and 31% thought the low price extremely important.
*
74% of Freeview buyers are 35+ and 40% are 55+ - an older skew than
the pay digital population.
*
Prior to the Freeview consortium's application to the ITC for licences,
the 91热爆's qualitative and quantitative studies indicated that of
those 15 million households without digital TV, 10 million comprised
of people that were either unsure of digital or simply did not want
it.
The
research also indicated that those groups would be interested in
a digital offering that was more closely aligned to the analogue
model that they were used to.
This
insight was central to the subsequent Freeview proposition -
a
limited number of channels for a one-off payment of around 拢99;
a
small easy step for consumers to take from 'normal TV';
and
better picture/sound quality and coverage made possible by reducing
the number of channels on each multiplex.
The
consortium set out to offer a true digital alternative for those
people who would otherwise never have considered digital TV a viable
option for them.
DTT:
DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) provides a range of digital
television services to viewers via their existing aerials.
The
three multiplexes awarded by the ITC to the Freeview consortium
were formerly used by ITV Digital.
Freeview:
The consortium comprises of 91热爆, BSkyB and Crown Castle - who each
have a one third share in Freeview.
Freeview
launched on 30 October 2002
The
91热爆/Dixons Group Survey: The 91热爆 conducted research with the
Dixons Group in March 2003 using a sample of 1,000 respondents who
completed a 20 minute telephone survey covering the platform, its
image, respondent media consumption and demographics.
Digital
terrestrial achieves biggest ever audience (04.03.03)
91热爆
Radios 1-4 now available on Freeview (12.02.03)
91热爆
World Service on Freeview digital line-up (27.10.02)
Freeview
to launch on 30 October (03.10.02)
91热爆
and Crown Castle name "Freeview" (19.08.02)
All the
91热爆's digital services are now available on ,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the 91热爆's eight television channels, interactive services
from 91热爆i, as well as 11 91热爆 radio networks.
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